Award Winners

Based on the true story of 17th century painter Artemisia Gentileschi, this beautiful novel is vivid, heartwrenching, and undeniably gorgeous. Alternating between Artemisia’s time told in stunning verse and the tales of ancient heroines Judith and Susanna, Blood Water Paint is the truly magnificent tale of a young woman battling to be heard in a …

Leah Dieterich lays all of her insecurities and uncertainties excruciatingly bare in the excavation of her marriage. Using compelling prose, she peels back the surface of everything, and it is mesmerizing; she digs until she understands what she feels, what she wants, and why she wants it. Exploring open marriage, bisexuality, honesty, and fear, this …

Griffith, the author of bestselling fantasy novel Hild, gives us a compulsive psychological thriller and an important contribution to disability literature in her new novel. In the course of a week, Mara’s wife leaves her and she is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. To keep herself from spiraling, Mara launches herself to the front lines of …

Washington Black by Esi Edugyan, Victoria, BC This stunning book kept me guessing at every turn. It begins on a sugar plantation in Barbados, when an 11-year old slave, Wash, is plucked from his unrelenting work by his master’s brother to be his own assistant. Titch is a scientist, and Wash’s life is about to …

The Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association, a trade association of independent booksellers, publishers, authors, and librarians, announced the 2019 Northwest Book Awards Shortlist, selected by a committee of independent booksellers from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Alaska. From more than 400 nominations, the committee chose the following 12 finalists, written or illustrated by creators from the …

Washington State Book Awards winners were announced on Saturday, October 13, 2018 at the Seattle Public Library. The Washington State Book Awards honor works of outstanding literary merit by Washington authors. An award is given based on the strength of the publication’s literary merit, lasting importance and overall quality to an author who was born in …

The Library of Congress National Book Festival is an annual literary event that brings together best-selling authors and thousands of book fans for author talks, panel discussions, book signings and other activities. Over its long history, the National Book Festival has become one of the pre-eminent literary events in the United States. Attendees can interact …

Congratulations are in order for Corinna Luyken (again!). Her picture book, The Book of Mistakes, was chosen as the winner of the 2018 Crystal Kite Award for the Western Division (Washington, Oregon, Alaska, northern Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota). The awards are given by the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) “to fifteen books …

You’re Invited! Celebrate Seattle’s designation as a UNESCO City of Literature Please join us to celebrate! Seattle has been designated a UNESCO City of Literature. The folks behind the bid for Seattle City of Literature invite you to celebrate the designation with other local literature lovers. Public gathering and celebration at 7pm Tuesday, May 22, …

It was a beautiful party for Corinna Luyken and her wonderful children’s picture book, The Book of Mistakes, at Browsers Bookshop in Olympia on Saturday, April 28. As Browsers’ Andrea Griffith wrote, “It was Olympia’s Arts Walk weekend AND Independent Bookstore Day!” The community came together for the presentation of the 2018 Pacific Northwest Book …